(1/21) In a letter to the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE), members of the Frederick County Delegation voiced their support for the Northeast Maryland Waste Disposal’s application to construct and operate a Frederick/Carroll County Renewable Waste-to-Energy Facility located at the McKinney Industrial Park in Frederick, Md. They encouraged MDE to move forward expeditiously in the permitting of the renewable energy project.

"We support this sustainable, environmentally-sound and economically viable waste management project that will promote waste reduction, recycling, renewable energy and landfill diversion," wrote Chairman/Senator David Brinkley, Vice Chairman/Delegate Galen Clagett, Delegate Donald Elliott, Delegate Patrick Hogan and Delegate Kelly Schulz in their letter to Chief Michael Richardson, Industrial Permits Division, Maryland Department of the Environment, on January 17, 2013.

President Blaine Young of the Frederick Board of County Commissioners expressed appreciation to the delegation leadership and members for their support of the waste-to-energy facility. "With the General Assembly now in session, our county senators and delegates are considering many critical issues that will impact the citizens of Frederick County. We greatly appreciate their attention and the time they took to voice their support for the Frederick/Carroll County Renewable Waste-to-Energy Facility as we draw near to the last public hearing on permits that we believe will be issued in the spring.

"Over the years as this matter has been open for broad public discussion, we have issued many press releases, held innumerable public meetings and have seen extensive press coverage regarding the waste-to-energy facility. We now invite our citizens to attend the public hearing on January 30 and continue to participate in the open process," he said.

Delegation members emphasized the following points in their letter to MDE:

• Two independent Boards of County Commissioners and the Solid Waste Advisory Committee have studied numerous long-term waste disposal alternatives for more than seven years.
• A renewable waste-to-energy facility combined with increased recycling and energy recovery is the most cost-effective and environmentally sound solid waste management solution.
• Frederick County will save millions of taxpayer dollars over 30 years as compared to other waste disposal methods, as confirmed by an independent financial analysis.
• The facility will generate clean, renewable energy for tens of thousands of Maryland homes, thus advancing the state’s 2020 Renewable Energy goals.
• County residents will benefit from hundreds of jobs created locally during the project’s construction and 30 or more years of expected operation. (See www.frederickworks.com/wte).
• Local residents and businesses will benefit from millions of dollars in positive economic impact during the facility construction and operation.
• The facility will meet stringent state and federal environmental standards while producing clean, renewable energy, and will encourage the recycling of metals and other materials otherwise headed for the landfill.

Maryland Department of the Environment Public Hearing

MDE’s Air and Radiation Management Administration, Land Management Administration and Water Management Administration will conduct a public hearing on applications submitted by the Northeast Maryland Waste Disposal Authority for the construction and operation of the Frederick/Carroll County Waste-to-Energy Facility.

The public hearing is scheduled to begin at 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday, January 30, at Tuscarora High School, 5312 Ballenger Creek Pike, Frederick, Md. In case of snow, the hearing will be held at the same time and school on February 6.

Those who are unable to speak at the hearing may submit written comments until March 20 to the Maryland Department of the Environment, 1800 Washington Boulevard, Baltimore, MD 21230.

Copies of MDE’s tentative determinations, subject applications and other supporting documents are available for public inspection during normal business hours at the C. Burr Artz Public Library, 110 East Patrick Street, Frederick, Md.; 301-600-1630.

To view the MDE public notice on the waste-to-energy hearing, visit: http://www.mde.state.md.us/Documents/FrederickWTEfacilitypublicnotice.pdf.

For more information on the Frederick/Carroll County Renewable Waste-to-Energy Facility, visit www.nmwda.org.